Tag: OSNCamp2008

The days to OSNCamp are counting down. In full, it’s the first “Open Sustainability Network Camp,” October 18-19, happening in San Francisco and online. Here’s a bit of an explanation of what OSNCamp is about:

Why “Open Sustainability”? Because when we build our own resource banks and keep them closed, we limit our impact, our potential. “Open Sustainability” is about opening up our silos of knowledge, sharing and making links, for a better world. (This is a big topic – watch for future posts on this.)

And… what exactly do we mean by “Sustainability”? It’s a “just sustainability” – a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, living creatively and constructively with the ecosystems that sustain us.

What’s this “Network“? It’s a vision. You don’t have to be a member to come. It’s a new network that organizations committed to knowledge-sharing are joining, and this is the first gathering.

It’s not yet another program or site to commit to – we use existing resources within the network where possible (which is why Appropedia is being used as the wiki for this event).

It’s a… “Camp”? No, you don’t need to bring a tent. This is a BarCamp-style event: attendance is free, everyone is a participant (no spectators) and we decide the talks on the day. (Presentation ideas are welcomed beforehand of course.) You know how in all the conferences you’ve been to, the best parts have been over tea and coffee or in hallways, and the conversations between one talk and the next? We’ll have lots more of that, plus you get a say in what talks, forums and activities happen.

Now, being a BarCamp, there’s still a lot to do in the weeks leading up to the event. You, the participant, can play a part to ensure this is not just a great meeting with interesting people, but an awesome event where fantastic synergy and cooperation emerge: You can:

The days to OSNCamp are counting down. In full, it’s the first “Open Sustainability Network Camp,” October 18-19, happening in San Francisco and online. Here’s a bit of an explanation of what OSNCamp is about:

Why “Open Sustainability”? Because when we build our own resource banks and keep them closed, we limit our impact, our potential. “Open Sustainability” is about opening up our silos of knowledge, sharing and making links, for a better world. (This is a big topic – watch for future posts on this.)

And… what exactly do we mean by “Sustainability”? It’s a “just sustainability” – a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, living creatively and constructively with the ecosystems that sustain us.

What’s this “Network“? It’s a vision. You don’t have to be a member to come. It’s a new network that organizations committed to knowledge-sharing are joining, and this is the first gathering.

It’s not yet another program or site to commit to – we use existing resources within the network where possible (which is why Appropedia is being used as the wiki for this event).

It’s a… “Camp”? No, you don’t need to bring a tent. This is a BarCamp-style event: attendance is free, everyone is a participant (no spectators) and we decide the talks on the day. (Presentation ideas are welcomed beforehand of course.) You know how in all the conferences you’ve been to, the best parts have been over tea and coffee or in hallways, and the conversations between one talk and the next? We’ll have lots more of that, plus you get a say in what talks, forums and activities happen.

Now, being a BarCamp, there’s still a lot to do in the weeks leading up to the event. You, the participant, can play a part to ensure this is not just a great meeting with interesting people, but an awesome event where fantastic synergy and cooperation emerge: You can:

Last year in late September, I came across the Peace One Day campaign. I missed the day (September 21), but saved the link as an email to myself, thinking that the value in an annual “Peace” day is to remind us with some regularity, so that we do stuff other days of the year. My thought was that in a few weeks I would blog on it and tie it to whatever Appropedia (or LeapingStone, or Village Hope) stuff I was working on. That’s not random… My motivation for joining Appropedia was to do something that felt “real” toward improving lives, helping to bridge cultural gaps, and sustain the environment.

Well, today while trying to squeeze the inbox back down below 20 or so (almost manageable), I noticed the Peace One Day link at the bottom of the email. And it’s 3 days away. Well, the good news is that having that link hanging around was a good reminder all year. And so why not write a blog tying it to something I’m working on?

The biggest thing, and easiest to tie to Peace, is the Open Sustainability Network unconference, or OSNCamp. That’s coming on October 18-19 in San Francisco. It’s the first coming together of a large community of supportive people and organizations that are seeking to expand the impact of open sharing of solutions and collaborative problem solving in sustainability. (We at Appropedia include poverty reduction and international development in that picture.)

If you’re reading this post, maybe you think Peace One Day is a good idea. Maybe you think that openly sharing sustainable solutions can help. If so, why not come join us? There will be options for remote attendence, if travel is an issue, and the conference is free, except for your time. Is Peace One Day worth some of your time?

*A Barcamp is also known as an unconference – a very ad hoc conference. usually they are mostly on tech subjects. Think how the conferences you’ve been to have often been more notable for the conversations that have happened spontaneously, rather than the main talks. A BarCamp has a lot more of the informal stuff, and short talks can be given by anyone, at short notice. You can choose which talks to go to, or just do your own thing.